𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

32 - Happiness

~𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.~

*****
The sound of shattering glass made Dylan feel like something in him shattered even before he turned to see. As his head whipped around, his hands let go of the child in it.

In seconds, he was crossing the distance between the sitting room and dining. He crouched to the floor and caught her head right as her body dropped to the floor, her hands splayed out.

"Stacey, hey," he patted her cheeks, a dampened feeling in his chest, but her expression didn't change neither did she move. Her hair was still seeping between his fingers, her eyes still shut to the world, a serene expression on her face.

The sound of glass crunching reached his ears, he looked to see Kaylee stepping on the glass that fell from Stacey's arm as she rushed to drop beside her. "Is she okay? Gosh. I tried catching her but it happened so fast."

Dylan heard footsteps as the rest of his family rushed over and the music halted abruptly, the last line ringing in his head. Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.

He did.

And right now it was in the form of an unconscious woman. Emma knelt beside Kaylee and pressed two fingers to Stacey's wrist as the others peered.

"Is she expecting a baby too?" Joanne's soft inquisitive voice filled the silence and everything came to a standstill.

The colour drained from Dylan's face. He felt eyes piercing into his skin like needles, his mind racing as he stared at Stacey's expressionless face. He hadn't known her that long. She could be. His stomach coiled.

"Dylan?"

Mia called above him and he swallowed, not daring to risk a glance up. Heat spread across his neck at the implication. "No." Was she? He pressed his eyes close for a second. This was bad. "I don't think so." But what if she is? And that was why she signed -

"No," Emma spoke, quieting his thoughts as she dropped Stacey's eyelids. "She's not pregnant." A collective exhale rang through the room, but Dylan was sure he was the loudest. Emma leaned to hear Stacey's breathing. "Her breathing is heavy. She seems to be. . . sleeping?"

"What?" Dylan jerked his eyes to Emma, his brain feeling clogged.

"It's a very deep sleep though."

"But she was awake just now. "William pointed out, his eyes darting between Emma and Stacey.

"That's the thing. It's induced. I can't tell what it is but she must have either eaten or drank something between now and then."

"I saw her drinking the fruit Punch." Kaylee stretched her hand towards the fruit bowl, her voice shaky.

"Okay, so I just need her cup to check-"

Wondering why she stopped talking, Dylan followed Emma's stare to see Stacey's glass cup on the floor crushed into pieces in a pool of red. A heavy feeling weighed in his chest.

"-It's not possible. I can't determine anything from that."

Kaylee winced. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I ran over it when I was trying to get to her, I didn't know it. . .it was going to be useful. " Her eyes moved from Emma's and lingered on Dylan's, a distraught expression on her face. "I was only trying to help. "

All Dylan saw were her lips moving. He heard nothing. His mind was occupied with only one thing. One person. Any other thing was inconsequential.

"Let's get her up."